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Netflix, Disney-ABC TV Group extend licensing agreement
MUMBAI: Netflix and Disney-ABC Television Group have extended their existing licensing agreement.
The extension allows Netflix to continue to stream hundreds of library episodes from ABC Studios, Disney Channel and ABC Family over the Internet. As part of the deal, Netflix is also adding new content to its lineup of Disney-ABC series and TV movies.
The agreement adds to the selection of content that can be streamed from Netflix in the US. Episodes from new seasons of current Disney-ABC series will be made available to Netflix, 30-days after the last episode of each season airs.
Among the series and TV movies extended as part of the deal include prior season episodes of ABC‘s series ‘Grey‘s Anatomy‘, ‘Desperate Housewives‘ and ‘Private Practice‘.
Additionally, all episodes of ‘Lost‘, ‘Brothers and Sisters‘ and ‘Ugly Betty‘, prior season episodes of ‘Army Wives‘ from ABC Studios, series from ABC Family including ‘The Secret Life of the American Teenager‘, ‘Melissa And Joey‘ and ‘Make It or Break It‘, a range of content from Disney Channel including series ‘Phineas and Ferb‘, ‘Good Luck Charlie‘, ‘The Suite Life on Deck‘ and ‘Hannah Montana‘ are also part of the deal.
Among the new content from Disney-ABC that will be added to the service include ABC Family‘s series ‘Switched at Birth‘, prior season episodes of Disney Channel‘s animated series ‘Kick Buttowski‘, and all episodes of the ABC thriller ‘Alias‘.
Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos said, “Disney and ABC have been and continue to be an innovative and supportive partner for Netflix. The diverse programming from the different channels and networks are favourites of our members and we are thrilled to broaden the scope and extend the terms or our relationship.”
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With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
